Air India’s maharaja had a Pakistani inspiration

By Ria Gupta

The maharaja never was meant to be a king. He was always a middle-aged, potbellied mascot who flew around the world praising Indian hospitality. Sure, he had a moustache that took up his entire face and an elegance that was nothing short of regal. But his jobs changed with destinations, and with each gig, came a new persona. As Air India unveils the maharaja in yet another role, here’s looking back at what gave birth to the rotund mascot in the first place:The maharaja was the brainchild of Air India’s commercial director Bobby Kooka and art director and publicity chief Jal Cowasji. Illustrated by Umesh Rao of the Bombay-based ad agency J Walter Thompson, he took his first birth on an inflight memo pad in 1946. Back then, he was something akin to an oriental potentate, and represented how comfortable a traveller felt flying with Air India. He sat on a magic carpet, and smoked a bubble hookah.

His physical features evolved gradually, just like his personality. His round, curling moustache was inspired by Syed Wajid Ali, a Pakistani industrialist and a friend of Kooka. Apart from running a family textile business, Ali revolutionised sports in Pakistan as the president of the Pakistan National Olympic Committee for 26 years. He was one of the founding members of Lahore Race Club, and is known to have created several sports and health facilities in the country.

With his striped turban and his aquiline nose, the maharaja represented the oriental grace and the regality that India was associated with. But more than that, he was a symbol of Air India’s high quality of service. Harish Bhat’s book of short stories, Tata Stories, quotes Kooka saying, “We call him a Maharajah for want of a better description. But his blood isn’t blue. He might look like royalty, but he isn’t royal.”

In 2015, the maharaja had to don a more plebeian look–while the moustache remained, the regal garb was replaced by spiked hair, jeans and sneakers. The modern maharaja was born out of the government's demand as it was steering towards aviation policies that made flying accessible to the common man. Soon he was flying to destinations that Air India flew to—sunbathing in Sydney, selling flowers in Europe, and winning cricket matches in India.

As he travelled far and wide, the maharaja became an agent of satire and a friendly traveller to many. He was naughty, witty and, at times, politically incorrect. In breaking a leg while skiing in Geneva, selling porn on the streets of Paris, singing with the Beatles in London and fighting sumo wrestlers in Tokyo, he brought out the best, worst and often most stereotypical attractions in destinations around the world. He may not have been a king, but he reigned many hearts with his witty antics and questionable humour.As part of its new branding strategy, Air India has assigned the mascot emeritus a new role–the maharaja will greet travellers only in the premium classes and airport lounges. If anything, the role is more exclusive than ever before. How he adapts to this new post-retirement lifestyle, we’re yet to find out.